Following Unproven theories
by GirlquinndreameR
Summary: As the tournament progresses, Ling realizes her true feelings. All she has to do now is tell Jin, right? That sounds simple enough...slightly waffy, you have been warned
1. Ling's unproven theory

Unproven theory

Author's jibberish: Ok, this is how it's gonna go: You're probably wondering why I keep making sequel after sequel after…Well, here's the explanation. All the Tekken stories could tie together, but they are written to stand alone as well. Anyway, I am so happy to write Tekken stories and I hope this is a good one: another Xiaoyin. Enjoy and please review!

            Once…twice… my pen circles my thumb. The sentence across the blackboard is really short, but the teacher keeps lecturing on it. Will it ever stop?

            I try to ignore the pain pulsating in my knee. Yesterday I had a match against Christie. I won, of course, thanks to my masterful craftiness. Anyway, she didn't forget to leave me with a good kick on the knee. 

            I went to the doctor and he told me I have to wear this knee brace for at least 2 weeks. I don't believe him; I'm a fast healer. I give myself five days.

            "Valence electrons are believed to be found in the outer..." blah-blah my teacher drones on. I start to shiver. Have you ever had the feeling that you were being watched? I had that feeling after the match and then just now. It was kinda weird.  A folded piece of paper lands on my desk. 

            **_Ling, what's up? You look spacey._**

            I turn to my right. Mei is sitting beside me, her eyes to me. She quickly snaps her vision forward. I write:

            **_I do? I didn't notice._**

            I give it back to her. She quickly scans it, and then scribbles some more words.

            **_What's wrong? Thinking of your man, Kazama?_**

            My…man? My neck warms slightly. Jin Kazama…my man?

            Hardly. Jin won't settle down like that. He's too wrapped up on his revenge purpose to even have a healthy relationship. Before I'm able to write back, the bell rings and everyone scrambles to their lunch break.

            "Ling, I don't get it," Mei tells me. She and I are sitting on one of the benches. It's lunchtime at the Mishima Industrial Technical College.

            "What do you not get?"

            "You and Jin…what's going on between you two?"

            "Nothing. I haven't seen him in a week."

            Mei shakes her head at me. "No, no, I mean your relationship; romance and all that good stuff! Any mouth-action lately?"

            I loudly sip my soda. "That romance? And mouth-action?! Yeah right…"

            "You are totally into the guy. You can't tell me that there's nothing there."

            "I just did. Jin and I are non-existent. There's nothing between us."

            "Wait, you told me before that you love him and that he loves you," she said as she took a cucumber slice from me. 

            It's true, I did say that. Jin and I have a weird relationship. We were really good friends when we met 2 years ago. Then he ran away and didn't keep contact for these whole 2 years. Only a few months ago, he came back for the 4th King of the Iron Fist Tournament. It's kinda weird; he's changed but he's kinda the same. When we first met, he was quiet, polite and all that good stuff. Since we lived together, I had a chance to get to know him. Now, he seems to have put up a wall between us. For example, when we re-met about 2 or 3 months ago, he told me we shouldn't be seen together. His grandfather wants Jin dead, I live with Heihachi-san…you do the math. Jin thought if we were seen together, Heihachi-san would use me to get to him. Now that the tournament has started, Jin can't be killed without being noticed. So we're out of the woods, right?

            Wrong. Jin and I don't hang out like we used to. We don't call each other or talk until 3 am or whatever. The only time we do see each other if it's by chance or if it's an emergency. He's avoiding me slightly…or maybe it's just my imagination. If he is avoiding me, I know why. He's trying to protect me.

            Which brings me to my theory: Jin Kazama loves me. Yes, completely and totally loves me…but only as a friend. As unreal as that sounds, it's true. I mean, who wouldn't love pretty, happy, energetic little old me, Ling Xiaoyu? Well, Jin Kazama has fallen under my spell…but only as a friend, anyway.

            "Just as friends," I answer her, taking a piece of broccoli from her.

            "Are you sure?"

            I look up at her. Of course! But then…when Jin held me…it was so warm; nothing I ever felt before. I must have been floating on air; at least that's what it seemed. And a few weeks ago, Jin was about to kiss me. I could feel my heart pumping so hard, as if it were to shoot like a missile. But, he didn't. He kissed me on the forehead and took off. That was the last I saw of him. Ever since then, I've been feeling this weird, heaviness in my chest. And I don't think it's heartburn…

            "Maybe you don't love him," Mei broke my internal thoughts.

            "What?!" I burst. How could she say that? "What's a mat--."

            "Maybe you're _in love_ with him."

            I freeze. "W…What?"

            "Have you ever thought of that?" she asked.

            In all honesty…no.

            But…I love him as a friend. Jin Kazama may be fine as hell, with the body and strength of a Roman god, intelligent, trustworthy, loyal, brave, resourceful, intuitive, strong, dependable and sincere BUT that doesn't mean I'm in love with him. So what if I have a crush, but that's nothing compared to being "in love."

            "In love" is supposed to be chemistry; a bond between two people. It's supposed to be forever. It's supposed to last beyond the end of time…In all those mangas, those people feel warm and safe in each other's arms. They're willing to spend the rest of their lives together and fight any odds to be with that one person. So I can't be in love.

            My thoughts immediately come to that one night when I had to stay over at Jin's room. We were running from the Tekkenshu and I stayed over at Jin's hotel. The following morning, I woke up in his arms. He was holding me. Were we like that the whole night? I take a deep breath; I pray we were. When Jin holds me, it's as if the whole world stops; the only existing people are the two of us. His warmth is like fire but he holds me so tenderly. What is this feeling? What is this heart-squeezing, queasy feeling that I'm getting now? The very thought of him gives me anxiety and ease. Oh, geez, what's a matter with me?

            It's now Monday afternoon and I'm walking towards a desk adjacent to Anaka's. Anaka Sango is the head receptionist at Heihachi-san's office. I'm basically her assistant. I don't do a whole lot. Most of the time, I do stuff when she's too busy. When she's typing, I get her coffee. When she's filing papers and is too far from the ringing phone, I answer it. If there's nothing else better to do, I do a little inventory: staple boxes, pencils, tape, envelopes, white paper, printer ink…you get the idea. She insists I'm a big help but most of the time, we're talking. I've been working here for about 3 weeks. 

            Anaka is usually busy on Mondays. She receives the list of fights from the King of the Iron Fist department. All she does is pull up the files off the disk she's given, double checks the charts, prints them out and then folds them in large beige envelopes. However, she always manages to write her cell phone number on the inside flap of Jin's envelope.

            I come in early, around 2:15pm. I'm supposed to have a study period for that time but Heihachi set it up so that from 2:30 until the end of school, it was "business internship." He is the founder and contributor to my school after all. He can do anything.

            Anyway, when I come in, I find Anaka writing her digits in the inside flap of an envelope. "What are you doing?" I ask. 

            She seals the envelope and smiles. "Oh, nothing." She places it on her desk. The name 'Jin Kazama' is scrolled across the center. 

            Just as I stand behind our tall desk, Anaka's eyes turn to my knee. It was strapped in a royal blue brace. "What happened?"

            "My fight with Christie," I explain. "It gave me a pretty bad sprain."

            "I bet. That girl can kick."

            "It'll be fine though," I assure.

            "I hope so," a male voice interrupts. I look up and see Jin standing there in front of the desk. He's wearing a white t-shirt and black pants. That's enough to make Anaka's mouth drop; you can slightly see the outlines of his muscles…not that I'm paying attention or anything!

            It's not like I can! Seeing Jin's face makes me hear Mei's voice. 

            _"Maybe you are_ in love_ with him."_

            That anxiety/ease feeling returns to my chest. It's been a week since Mei last said that at school. Why does it keep haunting me? I can't look at him straight in the eye anymore. I can't possible be in love with him! Not true love!  I can handle a crush but…this is crazy!

            I turn away, hoping my beating heart would calm down. Maybe not looking at Jin would help. 

            "It was only because your back was turned that she hit your knee. She was in your blind spot," his voice said.

            But no matter how much I don't look, something about his voice gives me warm chills. 

            I slowly nod and find myself walking away. I wobble to the bathroom, hands on the counter, my head hanging in defeat. What did I just do?! I totally avoided Jin! And he was talking to me…what the hell is a matter with me?! 

            Those feelings of warmth stayed with me for a while. That one, short visit set it off. He was only there to pick up his fight list, not to see me! How am I supposed to face him when I can do nothing but think of his embrace? It's driving me crazy!

            Within time, I calm down. It was after school and I decide to go shopping. As I am exiting the store, I bump into someone. My bag flies out of my hands and some of its contents fall out.

            "I'm sorry!" I apologize. I get on my knees, gathering the fallen items in the bag. I look up and see Jin crouching across from me, placing a pummis stone in the bag.

            "Hey," he greets me.

            I get to my feet. "H-Hi." Oh god, those darn feeling rush in like a wave. This is getting out of control I run off without thinking, down the street and at the right corner.

            "Ling!" he calls me.

            But I don't dare stop and turn around. Why am I running? He's my friend…?

            _"Maybe you are _in love_ with him."_

            Dammit Mei, shut the hell up! Not now, I don't want to hear those words.

            I hold the phone against my ear, letting Mei's voice run through my head. I had just explained everything about Jin.

            "Ling," she calls my attention, "are you sure you don't love-love him?"

            "I can't."

            "It's not whether you _can_ but if you _do._"

            I groan. She's right about that. But still…

            "Hey, do you have those pictures from our summer trip to the beach?" she asks.

            Well, that was a sudden change of subject. "Somewhere," I answer.

            "Can you give them to me tomorrow? I need to scan them and put them on my website."

            I bend over and reach under the bed. "Sure, I'll look for them." I pull out a white shoebox and open it. Inside are tons of picture envelopes. I pull out the very middle one and open it. "Ah-ha! Lucky!" I exclaim. "I found them in the first envelope I pulled out!"

            "Great," Mei says.

            "Wow, this was at that bar," I say, looking through the photos, "this is at the hotel…and --." My thoughts stop as I see a picture of Jin. He's two years younger, with a pair of silver-framed Raybans on, his hands on the wheel of his black Porsche. The wind was pulling at his shirt, exposing his collarbone. I continued to stare at the picture.

            "Ling?" I hear.

            Half of my train of thought returns. "I'll…I'll call you back," and I hang up the phone.

            For the next hour, I look at all the picture envelopes. I find pictures of him and me at school, in the limo, at the mall and near the lake at 'our place'. I find a picture of him and me, sitting on the dock near the lakebed. I'm holding the camera at arm's length, and Jin's chin is resting on my shoulder, trying to fit in the picture. I begged for five minutes to get in the shot with me…he gave up and went along with it. I remember…

            Then my vision blurs and a few tears fall out of my eyes. Oh my gosh…it hit me like a bolt of lightning. I…I…

            I hear the door open and look up. Panda crawls in and sees the photos and a crying me. She's smart enough to add all the pieces together. "Panda…" I come up to her and hug her. "Panda, what should I do?" She picks up a picture off the floor. It's of Jin sitting on his Kawasaki bike. She growls and grunts, pointing at me, then the picture. 

            "Go to him…" I understand.

            She nods.

            "And tell him."

            She smiles.

            I embrace her again. "Thank you," I tell her. Panda gives me privacy and leaves the room as I grab my cell phone. 

            At that very moment, my cell phone rings and the caller id reads Jin's name. I quickly press that talk button. "H-hello?"

            "Hey," I hear him. It's enough to turn my legs to jelly. 

            "Um…Jin…" my face heats up. "About today…"

            "Yeah, I know. I need to see you about that."

            "You…you do?"

            "Well, we can't do this on the phone and I don't want to go to the mansion," he explains. "Can we meet at our place?"

            I gulp. " 'Our place'?"

            "Yeah. The lake…you remember, don't you?"

            Of course I remember; most of my fondest memories were there. "I do," I answer him. 

            "Ok, tonight at 6, ok?"

            I nod. "Ok, bye." I press the end button. 

            I quickly dress in a white tank top, purple pants and orange sneakers, finishing with fuchsia sunglasses. 

            Ok, so I'm going to meet Jin and now I'm faced with two problems: one, what the hell am I going to say and two, how do I get there?

            I decide to worry about my second problem first. So, I do the unthinkable…I head downstairs to the garage and open the south garage door. Near the opening I unveil what's under the canvas sheet. 

            Kawa-chan. Jin's black and silver Kawasaki motorcycle is sitting there by its lonesome self. On top of it is the black helmet. I place it on my head, trying to fit it properly. I find the key hanging on the wall, and walk the bike off the grounds. I start it up and then…I leave.

            I've never ridden Kawa-chan alone in my life. But…something told me that I should.

            And so, I'm going down the highway at 30 km/h…you swear a turtle is faster. Luckily, no one was behind me. I make it about 10 minutes after 6. I stop the bike and walk it to the trees right near the clearing. I pull off the helmet and put it down. A hair tie falls out, loosening ½ the hair on my head. I shrug and pull out the other one; now my hair is completely free. I walk into the clearing and stop. I can see him. 

            He's standing on the dock built over the lakebed. The sunset is reflecting off the water. Dressed in a black t-shirt and loose blue jeans, he turns to me. Slowly, I approach him.

            "Took you long enough," he complains in good humor. 

            My heart thunders and my face warms. Oh geez… "Sorry. So…what did you call me out for? This better be good." There you go Ling, play it cool…

            "You think I wouldn't notice?"

            And suddenly, my cool drops. My feet stop a few feet from him. What does that mean? Could it be…That's impossible! He…he knows? He knows I love him? "I…I didn't know it was obvious."

            "It happened kinda fast. I wasn't expecting it." He shrugged. "Annoying at first but you get over it quickly."

            I freeze. A-annoying? My love for him is …annoying? My face reddens; how embarrassing! I expect him to be a little more accepting than this! How could he be so cruel? Maybe I don't know him as well as I thought I did. My head spins out of control as I see my vision blur. Are they tears? Is this how rejection feels like? "I…I'm sorry," I bite my lip because scared I may start crying.

            "It's ok. Here," he says as he hands me a small package. It's a pair of neon green socks, in a clear package. I look at him, puzzled. "You dropped them when we ran into each other. They hit me on the head. And then you ran off before I could return them."

            I slowly and gently grasp them. "Socks…" I mutter. I don't believe it. He was talking about these socks. I'm…such…an…idiot. And then I start to laugh. I laugh so hard that I fall to my knees. 

            "Ling, what's wrong?" Jin asks, concerned. He goes on his knees as well. 

            I don't blame him for wondering what's a matter with me; I'm laughing and crying at the same time. "Oh Jin…I love you…" I say softly.

            "I know," he says casually. "You told me this."

            I grab him by the forearms. That's it. It's now or never. "No, Jin…" I look up to him, locking in his gaze. "Jin, I…I…"

…to be continued

Authour's jibberish: AGH! (dodges flying vegetables being hurled at her) Cliffhanger, sorry I couldn't resist! Anyway, please R+R; I'd love to hear from you. =)


	2. Jin is following

Following

Author's jibberish: You all must hate me now… -_-…Sorry to leave you hanging for so long (a year! Holy tortilla!) I was skimming through my FF.net listing and I saw this Tekken story…and it was still unfinished. So I typed this up (I forgot about this story…bad me *slaps hands, firmly but gently enough so I could maintain typing*) Ok, here's the continuation…

            I lift my eyebrows. I wait, patiently, for what she's about to say to me. Is this another game she's playing? At first I thought that but the look in her eyes is too intense.

            "Ling?" I mutter. I place my hand on her forehead. "Are you sick?"

            But she swats my hand aside. "No, I'm fine, Jin. Just please…hear me out."

            "Ok."

            "I…" her eyebrows furrow and she makes a deep growl in her throat. 

            It looks like she's going to throw up. I gulp.

            "It's just…" she finally starts, "when you left, it felt as if a part of me left too. Then, you came back…and…" tears fall from her eyes. I could feel this strange squeeze in my chest. "…and I felt relieved. After two years… I know I'm independent enough to live without you but…I…I just want to be near you…" she buried her face in her hands, quickly wiping her tears. 

            We stay on our knees for a few moments. Then she adds, "I don't mind if you don't return my feelings…It's just…" she stops and then looks up at me. "I'm just happy to know you're okay. And that I can see you, even if it's only allowed during the tournament. That's enough for me," she stands up. 

            She's happy just to see me. And the truth is I did miss her during these two years. But I wanted to protect her. 

            She's the only person in this entire world that I could call a friend, a special person. She knows me and accepts me when even I can't accept myself. Ling Xiaoyu gets to me; I realize it now. I'm following her…I'm drawn to her. 

            I stand too, uncomfortably placing my hands on her shoulders. "D-Don't cry," I say.

            What else can I say?

            Well, I could hug her? Hugs make people feel better, right?

            Slowly at tortoise speed, I wrap my arms around her. "It…It's okay."

            What a stupid things to say! To the casual observer, I look like a rigid pole trying to comfort her…Well, that do you expect? Ling's crying over me because of her feelings for me. I don't know what to do with her…

            I gently place my chin on top of her head. I can smell a light scent of peaches from her hair. Her frame is so little compared to mine; my arms can wrap completely around her. The sunset is gone and fireflies decorate the clearing. She's stop crying; that's a good sign. I haven't let her go; is that a good sign too?

            I can see bright orange. Slowly, I open my eyes, eastern exposure temporarily blinding me. My thoughts recall the happenings of last night: Ling and I slept in the glen.

            I move slowly, carefully, so Ling won't wake up. She's against me, head on my shoulder. We are lying under the trees, its fragrance enveloping the clearing. "You awake yet?" she asks.

            "Kinda," I answer. "Did I wake you?"

            "No, I got up about five minutes ago." She sits up and looks at me. My eyes are hazy but it looks like she has something on her mind. "Jin…"

            What's she going to say? Is she going to ask about last night? Is she going to ask how I feel? How would I answer that?

            "I need to pee," she says simply.

            And I sigh in relief. That's it? "You're kidding." She shakes her head earnestly. I stand. "Ok, let's go. There's a hotel nearby."

            As we walk towards the trees, I see an old friend. My black and white silver Kawasaki motorcycle is sitting there. It's in perfect condition; no dents or anything. I turn to Ling. "You're been taking care of her."

            She nods.

            "Did…you ride her here?"

            She nods again. 

            A visual picture of Ling on my motorcycle, arms spread out in fear, comes to my mind. I hold back a chuckle. "How fast were you going?"

            "32…" she answers sheepishly.

            I lift an eyebrow. "That's it?" Well, I didn't expect anything less than 40 or something…

            I approach Kawa-chan, put down the helmet, and hop on. It's been awhile since the last time I rode her. I look in Ling's direction. "Come on, let's go."

            She smiles at me like a little girl and straddles the bike behind me. We ride to the nearest hotel; the Mountain Lodge. It's a 5-minute ride there and once we arrive at the main entrance, she runs like lightning. Poor girl…

            I sit on the bike, letting the engine run for another 10 minutes. I know girls don't take that long in the bathroom. Something is up. I was just about to get up when the doors open and I see Ling step out. She looks at me with slightly misty eyes. "Do you have plans this morning Jin?"

            I shake my head. 

            "Can…"she hesitates for a moment, averting her eyes.

            Something inside me sees a bit of light. I have no idea what it is; I just speak. "How about a ride again?"

            I knew it was what she was asking for; her eyes brighten. "What about your car?"

            "No one will swipe it; it's at the glen. No one knows that place."

            "Ok!"

            "But-."

            "But what?"

            I scoot back. "I'll teach you how to ride her."

            Her eyes widen. "Ah- Why?"

            "I'm entrusting her to you. I want to make sure she's taken care of. You have to ride her to her full potential."

            "You mean 'fast'?"

            I nod.

            "But I'm scared to mess up!"

            "Know fear," I simply tell her.

            Her eyes widen more. "You're crazy! How can I have no fear?"

            "No, not 'no fear'. Understand fear…then get over it," I tell her. "If you take care with Kawa-chan, she'll take care of you."

            She looks at the bike, then to the floor. I can tell she's running thoughts through her head; her eyebrows are furrowing close together. Then, she looks at me, a smirk on her face. Ling sits in front of me, hands on the bars. She side-glances at me. 

            "Let's go," she hollers, and she takes off…at 28 km/h. 

            "Come on Ling," I encourage, "My dead grandmother is faster."

            She laughs as we head out on the highway.

            The scenery begins to run by faster. I place my hands on top of hers, gently increasing the throttle. My body is close against hers, my heart against her back. 

            The roaring engine fills the air with its sound. I feel as if I'm two years younger. Two years ago, I was a little more naïve; a little more understanding and a little more…open…

~

_            Ling scooped a bit of cake in her mouth. Her body relaxed and a smile formed on her face. "This is so good!" she cooed._

_            She and Jin sat at the dining table with a cake in front of them. It was a circular, double-layer chocolate cake, covered with fudge frosting and accented with icing and cherries._

_            Jin flinched slightly. "Thanks." He was never quite good at taking compliments. _

_            "You could sell this recipe to a bakery or something! I can't believe you baked this!" Ling exclaimed. "Even the frosting was from scratch--!"_

_            "Sh!" Jin hushed. "Tell the whole damn house!"_

_            Ling smiled. "Sorry. But where did you learn to cook this?"_

_            Jin took his last bite of the piece in front of him. "My mom. Every birthday since I could remember, she baked me this exact cake. And when it was her birthday, I made her pancakes. Then, when I got old enough, like 12, I made a cake for her birthday; vanilla was her favorite."_

_            Ling took another slice. "Is talking about her getting easier?"_

_            Jin slightly nodded. Then, he turned to his housemate. "What do you want to do for your birthday? No wait--," Jin held his hand out before she could answer. "I know: a trip to __Disneyland__?"_

_            "Uh…"_

_            "Shopping spree?"_

_            "Actually…"_

_            "The…zoo?"_

_            "A ride," Ling said. "I want a ride of the town on Kawa-chan."_

_            "Kawa-…Oh, my motorcycle," Jin recalled. "That's all you want? A joyride?"_

_            "Well, of course I want to go ride Dumbo but…Kawa-chan seems more…inviting right now."_

_            Jin nodded. "I'm sure we can do that."_

~

            By now, the speedometer reads 75 km/h. Much better…

            Seven minutes later, we're back at our spot. She turns off the ignition. I hop off. "Well, how did that feel?"

            "Great!" she exclaims. "Inviagor—invinigor—invigorating!"

            I turn, looking at the rental car, sitting a few yards away. I turn back to the bike. "It felt nice riding Kawa-chan again. I missed it."

            "She missed you too."

            No matter what happens, Ling manages to smile genuinely. 

            "You better get to school," I warn her, "Or you'll be late."

            She nods. "Whatcha gonna do today?"

            "I got a fight with Steve Fox."

            "When is it? Maybe I could come watch?"

            "3:00. But don't you have work?"

Ling shrugs. "Yeah, but I thought maybe I could see it." Her eyes turn to the floor. "You know, to see you."

I take a deep breath. To see me? My brain still screams that it's a bad idea, seeing her like this. It's too open and inviting. But I can't help it for some reason. And so I came to a conclusion, a theory if possible: Ling Xiaoyu is special. Special in different levels.

            It first started as a friendship as home. I was mostly a loner my whole life. I was usually by myself growing up…besides my mom. When I started attending the Mishima Industrial Technical College, I only gained typical formal classmates. 

            Ling was my first real friend. She reached out even though she ran into a few walls. She was a determined girl with spirit, strength and a large amount of hope. She did bring light to the house.

            When I left, I knew something was wrong. I had grown accustomed to her. I was used to being greeted with a cheerful 'Ohayo!' and her weird mood swings.

            But I had to re-create a new life. It was difficult. It was my 2nd transition…but I had to. I had a goal: to end the Mishima line… That's what I had to do. I still feel I must do that. But…

            "If you're free around 6 o'clock, we could get some tea or…whatever," I suggest.

            She picks up the helmet from the ground. "Ok, I guess I'll see you later." She hops on the bike and leaves.

            Ling wants to see me…and for some reason, I want to see her. There I go again…following her lead.

            I head back to town and get myself a smoothie. I don't know, I was in the mood for one. But I think it was a mistake.

            As I am heading to my parked car, a long black limousine pulls up in front of me. I grimace; I don't want to deal with this…not now…

            The back door opens and a man steps out. He's sharply dressed in a dark purple, almost black, blazer and black slacks. Of course he would be dressed in Armani-type clothes. He looks at me with an emotionless face, not even bothering to take off his sunglasses. It's cloudy out here, the stupid…

            "I want to talk to you," he begins.

            "I don't care," I pull out my key.

            He steps aside and slams his door shut. My brain jolts due to the sound; I refuse to let my body do the same.

            "What do you want?" I ask. Knowing him…well, more or less, he's not a very wordy person. "Let's get this over with."

            "Have you seen your fight schedule?"

            "I have." I try not to lunge at the guy.

            "A warning to you," he tells me, "Stay out of my way."

            "Not if I can help it," I sneer. "I have every intention to finish the both of you off."

            "Yes so I've heard."

            "'Heard'?"

            "I had a chat with the old baggage. He told me what has happened for these past 20 years." I guess that means Heihachi told him about me. He takes off his sunglasses and looks at me straight in the eyes, the hideous red eye gleaming at me. "On Saturday," he says, "I won't hold back."

            "Neither will I," I open my car door and hop in. I ignite the ignition, shift into gear and slam on my gas. I burn out my tires and head straight into the side of his limo. With about a foot of space before impact, I slam on my brakes. 

            His face is stiff as always. Now, his eyes are narrow at me, like slits. "The old man is mine. I warned you."

            Before I can retort, he climbs in his limo and it drives away. Damn, he had the last word!

            I take a long sip of my smoothie. I hate looking at him; it's like looking in an older mirror image.

            I better head to the hotel. I can change and get in some extra training before this afternoon's fight.

…fin?

Author's jibberish (again): Namco's characters, not mine. Now, I will go back in my little corner, trying to think up stories. "Xiaoyin," I shall mutter, "Xiaoyin…"


End file.
